About the Book

An examination of the groundbreaking 1960 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, including the story’s origins in real-life graverobber Ed Gein. The book presents material from the script and how it was adapted from Robert Bloch’s novel; details of the film’s production, particularly the shower scene and other technical difficulties; actors and the challenges of their roles; extended literary analysis of the film covering such devices as irony, symbol, theme, motif and foil; and the film’s effect on audiences. Features 16 photographs, notes, bibliography and index.

About the Author(s)

Joseph W. Smith III is a teacher, journalist and public speaker in Pennsylvania.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Part 1. Before Committing Yourself: A Few Preliminaries
Introduction: We All Go a Little Mad Sometimes 2
1. He Stole Her Corpse: Gein and Bloch 7
2. Do You Mind If I Look at Your Book? Stefano and Hitchcock 13
3. The Nuts and Bolts: Hitchcock and His Crew 18

Part 2. Look at the Picture, Please: A Detailed Analysis of the Film
4. I Hate Having to Be with You in a Place Like This: Titles and Windows 24
5. Let’s All Talk About Marion, Shall We? Marion and Sam 29
6. She Sat There While I Dumped It Out: Caroline and Cassidy 34
7. Am I Acting As If There’s Something Wrong? Marion and Marion 41
8. Dirty Night: Marion and Norman 53
9. Blood! Blood! Marion and Mom 70
10. He Had to Erase the Crime: Norman and Us 91
11. If You Still Haven’t Come to Your Senses: Sam and Arbogast 96
12. People Just Come and Go: Arbogast and Norman 102
13. A Bad Day Coming: Sam and Lila 110
14. I Can Handle a Sick Old Woman: Lila and Mom 119
15. As If from a Deep Sleep: Richmond and Norman 130
16. Two Personalities: Psycho and Psycho 139
17. Want to Check the Picture Again? Psycho and Its Themes 144
18. The Whole Story: Psycho and Its Moral Implications 162

Part 3. And That Still Wasn’t Enough: Aftermath
19. They’ll See and They’ll Know: Psycho and Its Viewers 172
20. After the Murder, Norman Returned: Sequels and Spin-Offs 182

Appendix: Cast and Credits 201Sources 203Bibliography 205Index 209

Book Reviews & Awards

“This is the book to have if you want to understand Psycho’s standing in popular culture and film history. Smith has done Hitchcock fans, scholars, and critics an invaluable service in providing a comprehensive, richly detailed, and eminently practical guide to this seminal film.”—Philip J. Skerry, author of Psycho in the Shower: The History of Cinema’s Most Famous Scene.